You will need a valid ROM file (with the file name vMac.ROM) from a Mac Plus. You can get this from your old Macintosh computer as described here, or you can skulk around on the internet and download one illegally.

Stuffit for Windows Edition 9. Some reports indicate that newer versions of Stuffit for Windows won't handle the very old files referenced in this setup guide. Best stick with the old version provided here.

Getting Started

Download the files above. Install Stuffit for Windows. Extract mini vMac. You will notice that it consists of just one executable file. Place your ROM file in the same directory as the mini vMac executable. The ROM file should be named “vMac.ROM.”

If you did a default install of Stuffit for Windows, just right click on “SSW_6.0.8-1.4MB_Disk1of2.sea.bin” and select “Stuffit Archive” and then “Expand Here.” This will produce a file called “SSW 6.0.8-1.4MB Disk1of2.sea.” Now right click on that file and expand it. This will produce a file called “System Startup.” Repeat this procedure on “SSW_6.0.8-1.4MB_Disk1of2.sea.bin” to produce a file called “System Additions.”

(If you opted not to do a default install of Stuffit and don't have contextual menu options, run the “Expander” tool and drag the archives onto the utility. You'll have to do this manually since the archives may not show up as valid if you are browsing for them using the “open” dialog)

Booting your Mac

Run the vMac Executable. Your Mac should start up and display a blinking question mark displayed against a floppy disk. Drag “System Startup” onto the Mini vMac screen. This should boot the System 6 install disk (see Figure One). Shut down your Macintosh when you are finished exploring (“special” –> “shutdown”).

Figure one: Mini vMac booting the System 6 install disk

Installing System 6

Extract the archive containing blank disk images that you downloaded at the start of this guide. Look for and extract the file 024M.dsk.

Run the Mini vMac executable and once again drag “System Startup” into the vMac screen. Also drag “024M.dsk” onto the screen. This disk should show up in the Mac OS as a disk called “untitled.”

Inside of the Mac OS double click on “System Startup” and then on “Installer” to begin installing the Mac OS. Click “OK” on the first prompt and then “Install” to install System 6 onto “untitled.” When asked for “System Additions” just drag that file from Windows on to the Mini vMac screen as you have done with the other disk images. You will be asked for “System Startup” one more time before installation finishes - just drag the file from Windows to Mini vMac again.

Figure two: About to Install System 6 on Mini vMac

Now you've got a disk image containing System 6 that Mini vMac can boot and that contains plenty of free space for applications. Now you can run the Mini vMac executable and when you see the blinking question mark, you can just drag 024M.dsk onto the screen to boot it. But before we finish, there is one more thing we should do…

Installing Stuffit Expander 4.0.1

You are probably going to want a copy of Stuff Expander 4.0.1 inside of your emulated machine in order to expand applications and games. This guide originally recommended the use of HFVExplorer to decode Stuffit, but you can now dowload a disk image containing Stuffit from The Gryphel Project. Just drag the disk image onto the emulated Macintosh.

Getting Things Into the Emulator

To get files (downloaded games and applications, for example) from Windows into the emulated system, use ImportFl, available from the Gryphel Project. When this application is running within the emulator, you are able to drag files into the emulator, just like disk images.

Conclusion

We're all done! For more help guides and a large list of software applications that work within Mini vMac check out the Official Page. For more help, you should check out my Macintosh Emulation Forum. Big thanks to Paul Pratt for developing Mini vMac and writing Mini vMac's official documentation, from which this guide is adapted. When you are finished playing with vMac, consider setting up Basilisk II, a slightly more robust Macintosh emulator.

I've created some disk images containing lots of old shareware and freeware titles. Find those over at System 6 Hell.